Chapter 4 – Peaceful Days
Morning sunlight slipped through the narrow gaps of the loosely fitted wooden door, landing directly on Mo Fanglei's eyelids.
"Ugh…" Mo Fanglei groaned softly. His body felt stiff, as if his spine had turned into one of the wooden pillars of the building itself.
His head felt heavy after leaning all night against the cold metallic body of the Brick Block Puzzle machine. The faint static hum of the arcade machine—bzzz…—which had been running throughout the night, became his natural alarm. He rubbed his dull face, then stretched his muscles until a series of cracks—krak… krak…—echoed from his neck, both satisfying and painful at the same time.
"This floor really isn't friendly to old people," he muttered in a hoarse, just-woken-up voice.
Outside, the atmosphere of Hunan City had fully awakened. The silence of the night had been replaced by the symphony of a bustling marketplace reaching its peak.
From behind the door, Mo Fanglei could hear the rhythmic clatter of horse hooves occasionally passing over the dry ground—tuk-tak-tuk-tak—blending with the shouts of vegetable vendors advertising their goods.
"Fresh vegetables! Just picked from the mountain's foot!"
"Carp fish! Still alive, only three silver coins!"
The fierce bargaining voices, the clinking of cooking utensils from the noodle stall across the street, and the laughter of children running around filled the air. Yet, amidst all that liveliness, Mo Fanglei noticed something different. Every time someone passed by his shop, their steps would slow down slightly.
He could hear curious whispers from outside the wooden door.
"Look… that's the 'Entertainment' place people were talking about last night."
"Such a strange name. Do you think it's an illegal gambling den?"
"Who knows, but two people from the Azure Sky Sect came out of there yesterday looking extremely refreshed."
Mo Fanglei smiled faintly as he heard them. His drowsiness vanished instantly, replaced by a burning business instinct. He stood up, straightened his slightly wrinkled clothes, and glanced at the arcade screen displaying the words INSERT COIN.
"The market is already busy," he whispered as he walked toward the door. "Time to open the gateway to digital addiction in this cultivation world."
He grabbed the door bar, took a deep breath to prepare his 'merchant smile,' then swung the door wide open.
Kreeeeeek…
Sunlight immediately flooded the interior, illuminating the fine dust particles in the air. Mo Fanglei's gaze instantly fell upon a small crowd turning toward him, their expressions filled with curiosity.
---
DAY TWO
The Hunan marketplace remained crowded as the sun reached its peak overhead. Mo Fanglei had been standing in front of his shop for two hours—his merchant smile firmly in place, but inside, he was beginning to feel anxious.
"Could it be that yesterday was just luck? But this is normal when starting a business," he muttered, repeating the same thought over and over—his brows furrowed, his forehead creased.
The doorbell rang—ting!
A middle-aged man with a bamboo basket strapped to his back stepped inside, his eyes carefully examining the brightly lit arcade machine.
"This… is the entertainment people were talking about?" he asked hesitantly.
"Will this benefit me?" thought Ah Bao, raising one eyebrow slightly.
Mo Fanglei nodded quickly. "That's right, Sir. Would you like to try? It's only one small spirit stone for 15 minutes," he replied with a sincere merchant's smile.
"I need to lower the price so customers won't leave because it's too expensive. Right now, my focus is only on EP and covering my meals," Mo Fanglei thought.
The man, a bamboo craftsman named Ah Bao, carefully took out a spirit stone—as if it was his first time spending it on something like this.
---
15 minutes later…
Ah Bao shouted in surprise as he managed to clear three layers at once. His hands trembled, his eyes shining like those of a child.
"Ah!! Eh… I did it!! I did it!!" exclaimed Ah Bao, filled with joy as his exhaustion seemed to vanish instantly.
DING! TheSystem echoed in Mo FangLei's mind:
You have gained 100 EP from new customer
Effects applied to customer:
+0.1% concentration increases
-0.1% stress fatigue reduction
+0.1% cognitive and spatial enchancement within 24 hours
Ah Bao left the shop with a wide smile, glancing back twice. "Tomorrow I'll bring my wife!" he shouted from outside.
Mo Fanglei smiled faintly. "I think I've just gained a returning customer. Even one is enough," he thought.
Two more customers followed for the rest of the day:
The second, a curious fabric merchant.
The third, a teenager laughing loudly while playing Cap Man.
When night fell, Mo Fanglei counted: 3 new customers = 300 EP.
"Ah… the beginning of any business is always hard. It's normal to lack regular customers or even have none. But at least I have some coming in—it's enough for initial capital," he thought as he calculated his EP.
"T-wait… Oh right! Tomorrow I have to pay the electricity fee!" Mo Fanglei quickly checked operational costs and saw the price: 500 EP for beginners.
"This is a big problem…" His brows tightened, his forehead wrinkled—both hands clutching his head.
---
DAY THREE
The bell rang five times that day.
One of them was a familiar face: Ah Bao returned with his wife, a simple woman who initially frowned but eventually became addicted to Brick Block Puzzle.
"Damn… this is more fun than I expected!" she cursed while laughing.
"Husband. This game is really strange but very enjoyable!" she said.
"I told you this place is worth it," Ah Bao replied, teaching her calmly.
Three other new customers:
An old man selling boiled peanuts who was curious.
And two young men who were intrigued after seeing Ah Bao looking refreshed despite weaving bamboo all day.
The system chimed repeatedly:
You have gained 75 EP from returning customer (AhBao) and 400 EP from new customers
Systemevaluation: High probability that Ah Bao may become a regular customer of the Host.
Total Day Three: 475 EP
Final Accumulation: 775 EP
That night, Mo Fanglei sat in front of his shop, counting the spirit stones he had earned.
"Nineteen small spirit stones and nine medium ones… the medium stones are too valuable… if this continues, maybe tomorrow I can buy another Cap Man machine since it's becoming a best seller. Oh… right! I almost forgot the electricity will definitely be cut off tomorrow," he muttered.
"It seems I have to exchange 15 small spirit stones… even if my EP drops to zero again. But this will be an investment for the future," he said confidently, relying on decades of experience.
Mo Fanglei exchanged 15 small spirit stones into 750 EP, bringing his total to 1,525 EP.
Without hesitation, he purchased another Cap Man machine and placed it beside the first one, then paid three days' electricity cost with 500 EP—enough for the weekend.
Mo Fanglei felt a sense of nostalgia, even though he was at the lowest point of his business.
Because more valuable than stones were the smiles of the people leaving his shop. They walked lighter, laughed more freely.
"Maybe this is my purpose in this world—to entertain others. I still have 350 EP left. Maybe I should add more entertainment," he thought—before slowly falling asleep beside the machine.
In the distance—those eyes continued watching—observing closely, with a faint smile.
---
DAY FOUR
The fourth day was quieter. Only two new customers came—a blacksmith exhausted after a long day, and a young girl selling cakes who was allowed by her mother to play for a while.
The blacksmith, a large man with muscular build, initially scoffed. "This is what Ah Bao talked about? This thing is just for children," he grumbled—observing the colorful arcade machine.
But 10 minutes later, he shouted in frustration after losing at level 2. "Damn… damn… one more time!" he demanded, pulling out another spirit stone.
The young girl—her name was Mei—played Cap Man skillfully, her eyes focused, her tongue slightly sticking out. When she defeated the last ghost, she jumped excitedly. "I won! I won! Those stupid ghosts almost caught me, but they couldn't!" she shouted, raising her hands triumphantly.
The system chimed twices.
You have gained 200 EP from 2 New customers (blacksmith and Mei)
Total Day Four: 200 EP → Final Accumulation: 550 EP
That afternoon, Mo Fanglei visited the market. He bought a sleeping mat made from animal hide for 3 spirit stones after bargaining—a lesson from his mother. With 4 stones left, he bought grilled meat noodles for 1 stone and several chairs for customer comfort for another stone.
Mo Fanglei took a bite.
"Huek!! Is there no seasoning in this world? Not even spices?! How do they tolerate such bland food?!" he exclaimed, sticking out his tongue.
"Cultivators haven't tasted modern food like… burgers, fried chicken, spaghetti, sushi, buns, and so many delicious things!" he thought, imagining those foods as treasures in this world.
After eating, he returned and lay down on the hide mat—much softer than the wooden floor. His breathing steadied. His eyes grew heavy.
Outside, the sound of crickets—krik… krik…—accompanied his sleep.
But just before drifting off, he saw two points of light in the darkness beyond the window.
"I feel… like someone is watching me," he murmured.
He blinked. The lights vanished.
"Seems like I'm just too tired and hallucinating," he muttered, dismissing the thought.
---
DAY FIVE
The sun had risen high when Mo Fanglei opened his shop. Breakfast had been the same—bland noodles and dry grilled meat. "If only there were spices here… I wouldn't have to suffer like this," he complained inwardly.
The market was lively as usual. But unlike the previous days, fewer people stopped by.
"Maybe it's a weekday. Entertainment businesses are always quieter during working days," he thought, trying to stay positive.
He sat on a wooden chair near the arcade machines, occasionally wiping dust from the Cap Man screen. Three machines now stood side by side: Brick Block Puzzle and two Cap Man.
"My beloved arcades!! You really are my EP generators!" he said happily.
The market noise echoed outside—but no one entered.
One hour passed. Then two.
The shop felt empty. Mo Fanglei leaned back, half-closing his eyes.
"Hah… I might as well rest while waiting for customers."
Then, amidst the noise, he heard something different.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps. Not ordinary ones. Too steady. Too confident. The kind of steps belonging to someone used to being served.
Mo Fanglei didn't open his eyes. But the corner of his lips lifted slightly—not quite a smile.
"I knew this would happen."
"In any world, a business that starts gaining attention will attract certain people. On Earth, it would be thugs, debt collectors, or officials asking for a cut. In this world? Probably the same—just with a different appearance."
The footsteps grew closer. Then stopped right in front of the door.
Mo Fanglei finally opened his eyes. Through the thin wooden door, he saw shadows—not just one, but several.
"How much time do I have before they enter? One minute? Or none at all?" he thought, preparing himself.
He took a slow breath. Stood up. Adjusted his collar—ensuring everything was perfect.
"Alright. Let's see what kind of people this world has to offer."
To be continued…